Key-board for musical instruments



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. T. WEIR.

KEYBOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. No. 352,965.

Patented Nov. 23, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

w. T. WEIR. KEY BOARD FOR MUSIGAL' INSTRUMENTS. No.- 352,965. PatentedNov. 23, 1886.

m1: 1; WM :34 if N. PETERS. Fhnlvlilhogmphen Wnshin lon, Dv C.

UNITED STATES WORTHINGTON 'r. WEIR,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KEY-BOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

QPECIPICATIQN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 352,965, dated November23, 1886.

Application filed May "I, 1885. Serial No. 164,712. (No model.)

' such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to organ and piano key-boards in which the keysare divided or arranged in three harmonic divisions or rows, and inwhich provision is also made for mechanically transposing the musicbeing played, in order to enable the player to more readily play themusic; and the devices herein described relate more particularly toimprovements and modifications of the devices described in anapplication for patent for an improvement in key-boards for musicalinstruments filed by me October 3, 1884, hearing the serial number144,669, and allowed April 20, 1885.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of the ordinarykey-board of an organ with the stop-acti0n removed, and a part of mykeyboard in place thereon. Fig. 2 shows a part of the key-board properand a frame in which it rests. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of theframe shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5

0 ,is a section in line at a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section in line y yof Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section of the fixed andmovable key-boards. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan showing one octave ofkeys in place. Fig. 9 shows iingerpieces for the keys. Fig. 10 shows acompound indicator by which to determine the position of the board.

For convenience in description I use herein the terms harmonic divisionsZUJC tonic, sub-dominant, and dominant harmonies. The term tonic harmonydesignates collectively all the notes constituting the chords or triadsof the tonic in the several octaves of the musical scale. The termsub-dominant harmony designates collectively all the notes constitutingthe chords or triads of the sub-dominant in the several 00- taves. Theterm dominant harmony designates collectively all the notes constitutingthe chords of the dominant seventh in the several octaves, and the termharmonic divisions designates collectively the three har monies abovenamed. I also use the term half-step, by which I mean a space equal tothe width of one key in the ordinary chromatic board of the organ.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the ordinary keyboardis left in its usual position, while my harmonic board is located justto the rear of and over the ordinary board, thus leaving the latterentirely'free and unobstructed, while the harmonic board is also alwaysin proper position for use, so that the player mayuse either boardatwill.

In all organs the ordinary chromatic keyboard (marked Ain the drawings)presents an even level upper surface, A, just back of the black keys.Upon this even surface I place my harmonic board permanently.

The frame B (shown in Fig. 1) is fastened by the blocks b upon the endsof. the "frame A, supporting the keys of the ordinary board, A, orotherwise.

B is a board or bar extending from one block b to the other, andprovided with a series of vertical holes, I), one over each key of theboard A, in which rest loose verticalshafts or pegs b. Each of thesepegs rests with its lower end on a key in the board A, and its upper endprojects a little above the upper surface of the bar 13.

B is a board lying in front of the peg-bar rected tongue bflhavingbeneath it the groove b.

O is an oblong frame, having at its front the bar 0 and at its rear therod or bar 0 and its length between the ends is three half-steps greaterthan that of the frame D, below described.

On the lower surface of the bar 0 are twelve notches, a, spaced the sameas the pegs b and the keys of the board A. These notches are engaged bya pin, b projecting from the rear side of the peg-bar B. This makesitpossible to shift said frame 0 to the right or left, and secure itagainst lateral movement over any point in the board A which may beselected. 0 (3* are handles extending from the frame 0 toward theplayer. By these he may lift the front of said frame high enough torelease the notches c from the peg b and then shift the frame and letits weight bear it down again and cause another notch, c, to engage thepeg 12 On the inner face of the bar 0 is aledge, 0 upon which rests oneedge of the frame D, described below.

D is another rectangular frame one octave shorter than the board A,composed of the front and rear bars, D D, connected by end pieces, d(2?, and having ashifting-bar, D between them. The rear side of the barD is grooved to receive the rod 0 and ride thereon, and said rod is heldloosely in said groove by a strip, 0 or otherwise. The frame D restswithin the frame 0, and is of sufficient width to fill the space betweenthe bars 0 and C while its length is three keys or half-steps less thanthe interior length of the frame 0, thus permitting the frame D to shiftwithin the frame 0 three half-steps, and no more. The bar Dis ofsufficient width to fill the space between the bars D D while it is madea halfstep shorter than the space between the ends (2 (1 in order thatit may be shifted longitudinally with reference to said bars D D onehalf-step, and no more. Said bar D may be supported in any suitablemanner. The drawings, Fig. 2, show pins (2 projecting from the ends ofthe bar and lying loosely in a hole in the end pieces, d (1 D is a leverattached to bar D and projecting toward the player, by which the bar Dand the frame D are tilted and shifted. When the bar D rests against theend piece, (1, and the whole frame D rests at its farthest point to theright in frame 0, it is necessary to lock or secure both. This is doneby means of a projection, d, on the under side of the lever D, whichengages in a notch, c, in the bar 0. As the bar D shifts one half-stepwithin the frame D and the frame D shifts three halfsteps, (carrying thebar D with it,) the bar D is carried to the left a total distance offour half-steps, consequently a second notch, 0*, placed four half-stepsto theleft of the first, is required to lock the lever D when it hasbeen moved to its farthest limit to the left. At the rear of the frame Dis fixed the rearwardlydirected tongue d which restsin the groove If.

The inner ends of my keys E may be made of wood or other suitablematerial, and may be formed and secured like the inner ends of theordinary keys of the organ, and each resting at its outer or middleportion on a peg, b. I use only seven keysin each octave, and these,when the bar D is at its farthest limit to the right, are spacedaccording to the major scale. All the keys of each octave, excepting thethird and sixth, are mounted upon the bars D D while the third and sixthare mounted upon the bar D, in order that they may be shifted to theright or left a half-step with reference to all the other keys, thuschanging the spacing from major to minor and from minor to major. Theouter ends of the keys may be continuous with the inner ends, and thesame in form as the ordinary piano or organ keys; but I prefer to usethe form shown in the drawings. This consists of a piece of wire orsheet metal, E, suitably attached to the front end of the wooden part ofthe key, and bent downward just outside of the peg-board B, as shown,until it almost touches the board B, (or the key-board A when the boardB is not used.) then outward horizontally about three-fourths of aninch, or more, and then upward a suitable distance to receive orconstitute a fingerpiece.

F is a face-board projecting downwardlyin front of the pegboard andextending the full width of the organ. By extending said faceboard lowerdown than the upper face of the peg-board B the interior of the organ iscompletely concealed from View and a finished appearance is given to theorgan, and the object of the downward bend in the arms E of the keys Eis to make room for said face-board. The handles 0 O and the lever D*are also similarly bent for the same purpose. Said face-board F may be acontinuation of the front of the ordinary stop-action, which is to beraised from its customary position on the board A and placed just abovemy harmonic board.

A horizontal board or bar, which maybe the foot-board of thestop-action, as shown in Fig. 7, is placed above the upper surface ofthe peg-bar B a distance less than the length of the pegs b Thisprevents the pegs over which no keys rest from falling out of theirholes when the organ is turned over during transportation. The pegs maythen be plain shafts without heads, spurs, or notches to secure them inthe holes, which is a much more simple construction than previouslyshown. A line of muffling may be glued on the keyboard A just beneaththe ends of the pegs.

The finger-pieces E of the keys are preferably arranged in three rows orbanks, each row or bank comprising the keysbelonging to one of theharmonic divisions, as described in Letters Patent No. 204,981, grantedto me September 9, 1884. This is accomplished by bending the outer endsof the arms E, so that they will stand in three different verticalplanes, and making the ends in the second row a little higher than thefirst and the third alittle higher than the second. As the first,fourth, and fifth notes of the scale throughout the several octaves eachbelong to two harmonies, the keys representing such notes are each bentso as to extend horizontally into two banks or rows, Figs. 7 and 9. Itis obvious that a wooden key might also be notched so as to bringfinger-surfaces into two different banks.

G and H, Fig. 10, are indicator-scales placed on the face-board F, oneback of the handle 0 and the other back of the handle 0, dividedlongitudinally into twelve spaces of the same width as the keys in thekey-board A, and the vertical shanks or the heads of said handles C Cserve as pointers for said scales. Said twelve spaces represent, thehalf-steps of one octave of the keyboard A. On one of said scales thespaces are marked with the Roman letters and a sharp or flat (whenneeded) representing the key-notes of one octave. In the spaces of theother scale are marked the necessary number of sharps or flats, or both,to represent the signatures as usually printed at the beginning ofpieces of music.

The operation of my key-board is as follows: \Vith the frame D and bar Dmoved to their farthest limit to the right in the frame 0, the keys, asbefore stated, are spaced according to the major scale, and the board isthen adapted to play music written in that scale. The entire board maynow be shifted over the board A by lifting the handles 0 O and stoppingover the desired key-note in the board A, in the manner described in myformer patent, above referred to, and as is done with ordinaryt-ransposition-boards. The proper position is shown by the indicatorsdescribed. If the player knows the key, and not the signature, in whichthe music to be played is written, he moves the entire board until thebandle C stands before the proper letter in the scale opposite saidhandle. If he has the written music before him, he shifts the entire Yboard until the handle O stands before the space in the other scale,which contains the same signature he finds at the beginning of thepiece. Thus if the signature of the piece is three sharps the handle 0'is placed before the space in the scale on which three of thesecharacters are marked. This latter provision, it will be seen, enablesthe player to set the board without taking the trouble to remember orascertain what letter corresponds to a certain signature.

If it is desired to playin the minor, and the board is set for themajor, the lever or arm D and the board D are moved one half-step to theleft, the stationary keys forming a stop. This moves the third and sixthkeys each a halfstep to the left and spaces the entire board-accordingto the minor scale. WVhen the music changes from major to relativeminor, the entire frame D and bar D are shifted by means of the lever Dto the farthest limit to the left, the frame 0 in the meantime remainingstationary. This changes the spacing and position of all the keys torelative minor. In finding the position of the board by the scale itwill make no difference whether the board is to be used in the major orminor, the signa ture for each being the same. In shifting the board byeither the handles 0 C or D, the entire frame D and bar D are tilted,whereby all the keys E are raised from the upper ends of the pegs b Inthe application herein referred to an in dicatorscale is shown havingthe Roman letters and sharps or flats indicating the key notes, and thesharps and flats indicating the signatures marked in the same verticalspaces. This, it has been found, requires so much vertical space that itcannot be conveniently placed on the faceboard F, the latter being ofnecessity made narrow. Furthermore, it

improves the appearance of the instrument materially to place a narrowscale at each side of the instrument, rather than one wide one at oneside. It will be observed, also, that symmetry cannot well be producedby placing a single scale at the middle of the instrument, because itisdificult to mount a pointer at the middle in such manner as not tointerfere with the movements of the keys while the frame 0 remainsstationary.

I claim as follows:

1. In a musical instrument, a transposition key-board composed of aframe, 0, and frame or board D, resting within said frame 0, said transposition-board resting loosely in open grooved or angular ways, whereby,said board is restrained from shifting in a transverse direction, but ispermitted to be shifted longitudinally and to be raised at its frontside or lifted entirely from said ways,substantially as herein setforth.

2. In a musical instrument, a transposition key-board composed of aframe, 0, and frame or board D, resting within said frame 0, saidtranspositionboard resting loosely on a way or ways, while its rearportion is loosely engaged by a horizontal groove and tongue or hook,and its front portion rests against a relativelyfixed parallel bar,whereby said key-board is restrained from shifting transversely, but ispermitted to be shifted longitudinally and to be raised at the frontside, or lifted entirely from its seat, substantially as herein setforth.

3. In a musical instrument, the combination, with the frame 0 and frameor board D, having the tongue d of a bar, B, having the groove b and thebar B,substantially as shown, and for the purposes set forth.

' 4. In a musical instrument, the combination, with the frame 0 andframe or board D, having thetongue d of a bar, B, having the groove 1),and the bar B and ledge B substan- 'tially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. In a harmonized key-board having the fingei pieces arranged in banks,substantially as described, keys E, which extend outwardly to the firstbank, of which they are to form a part, then upwardly to thelevel ofsaid bank, then outwardly across said bank, then downwardly to the levelof the next bank, of which key-notes,in combination with apair ofpointthey are to form a part, then outwardly in ers mounted upon thetransposition-board, and said second bank, substantially as shown andcarried by the latter before said indicatordescribed. scales,substantially as shown and described.

5 6. In a musical instrument having a trans- In testimony whereof Iaffix my signaturein 15 position key-board, a pair of separateindipresence of two witnesses. cator-scales, one bearing the charactersindi- XVORTHINGTON T. WEIR. eating the signatures usually printed at thelVitnesses: beginning of pieces of music, and the other CYRUS KEHR.

:0 bearing the characters used to represent the CHARLES H. ROBERTS.

